~ 
298 
egg-laying occurs generally at night. Where the insects are abundant 
a single pod will often be found to carry as many as 15 or 20 eggs, 
which is an evidence of faulty instinct, since only one 
larva is deep yellow in color, with a black head, and 
bores directly through the pod into the nearest pea, 
the hole in the pod soon growing over, while a mere 
speck upon the side of the pod is the only indication 
of its entrance. The statement has been generally 
FSA Wer of Poa made that, in feeding, the larva seems in the majority 
Weevil—enlarged (af: Of cases to avoid the germ of the future sprout so that 
ter Riley). most of the ‘‘ buggy” peas will germinate as readily 
as those which have been untouched. This must, however, now be 
qualified, as we shall show in a later paragraph. The full-grown larva 
is indicated at Fig.40c. Before transforming to pupa, it cuts a circular 
hole quite to the thin outer membrane of the pea, thus providing for 
the future exit of the beetle. It then lines the interior of its excava- 
tion with a thin smooth layer of paste, excluding all excrement, and 
then transforms to the pupa state. The adult beetle in issuing has 
only to eat through the thin membrane left by the larva. It has been 
proved that the beetle would die if the larva had not prepared this 
passage way, and has been asserted that it will perish if the hole is 
pasted over with a piece of paper thinner than the hull itself. 
Sometimes many of the beetles will issue in the fall of the year, but 
as a general rule they remain in the peas through the following winter, 
and many are planted with seed peas. As far as is known the insects 
on issuing will not oviposit upon the dry peas, and a sure remedy will, 
therefore, be found in keeping seed peas in a close receptacle over two 
seasons before planting. The beetles will all issue at the customary 
time, but will soon die. When it is necessary to plant the first season 
the entire lot of seed should be thrown into water, when the “ buggy” 
ones will float, and should be removed and destroyed, sound ones only 
being planted. Infested peas may also be disinfected by placing them 
in a tight vessel with one of a number of different insecticides, among 
which may be mentioned camphor, chloroform, ether, and bisulphide of 
carbon, the latter being the cheapest and most efficacious. 
We have just noted the current idea that the larva, while working in 
the interior of the pea, generally avoids the germ or plumule and from 
this fact the impression has become more or less prevalent that peas 
which have been eaten by weevils are none the less available for seed. 
There has been many a discussion on this subject in the columns of the 
agricultural press, and while the weight of evidence has always been 
contrary to the use of damaged seed peas, still the question can not be 
said to have been definitely set at rest before the publication of the re- 
Sults of Prof. E. A. Popenoe’s careful experiments,in Bulletin No. 19 of 
the Kansas State Experiment Station. This investigator conducted a 
larva can develop ina single pea. The newly hatched — 
ae ions Aut nit 
